Happy Summer!

It's been a while since I blogged. I will admit that I have been enjoying the beautiful west coast summer but I really have also been busy creating. I just haven't taken pics and shared! I made a custom scrapbook for an Etsy Shop customer using Graphic 45 'French Country' and did a crackle finish on it.

I also made a couple Layouts -a beach one of my youngest grandson and a '1st Haircut' one, as well as 3 mini scrapbooks that I still need to add to my shop. My friend has also made minis to sell in my shop.
As much as I love summer my work gets behind as I take advantage of rain free days so forgive me for not taking pics yet!
Other than scrapbooking I have finally started playing with my Silhouette Cameo machine - bought 4 months ago. It's very intimidating at first and has a steep  learning curve.  But by reading and watching (youtube is my  friend!) and playing and experimenting I am starting to make my way up the slope. I started simple (okay - I am still at the simple stage) with cutting cardstock dinosaurs and such for my oldest grandson. Once I figured out how the machine worked I tried my hand at heat transfer vinyl on t-shirts. (Truthfully - I promised one to my grandson so Grandma could not let him down - haha). He wanted one for his dinosaur birthday party and I was happy with the way it turned out. Unfortunately I concentrated on the method and design and did not pay attention to the size. Dang - it was too big. 

That's okay, practice make perfect. So, I did a second one - this one smaller and with his favourite dinosaur - a triceratops! Not a t-rex grandma! Yes, at 3 years old he corrected me. Sheesh when I was that age a dinosaur was a dinosaur. Haha!

Even though it was his birthday, with 3 adorable grandchildren I couldn't leave the others out.  So I printed my granddaughters name on a little sundress 

 and then I got braver and experimented with vinyl layers. I made a t-shirt for my younger car loving grandson - Beep Beep!

Now my brain is full of ideas - canvas art, t-shirts, aprons, layouts, minibooks ... My talented daughter is a glass blower so she has made glass balls and is experimenting with etching on them with stencils  made from my Silhouette. They're going to be beautiful! The Silhouette Cameo is amazing - it does so much! I need to keep climbing that learning curve. It's going to be a fun winter!  For now though I will keep enjoying the summer and hope to soon post more pics of work that I have done. In the meantime, enjoy the sound of the waves and the sand between your toes!

I'm Starting to get the Hang of This!

It was a quiet winter in my Etsy Shop so to stir up sales I decided to try my hand at making mixed media canvases. I thought it would make a nice change from the scrapbook albums and altered items. After much research I loaded up with ideas, mixed media products and canvases.  Then just when I get started BAM - the albums started selling again. Murphy's Law! So, after finishing another canvas it is time to restock my shop and get started on a custom scrapbook order. Before that though, I want to share my canvas with you. I'm getting a bit braver - this one is 12x12 in size.

I used Prima Colour Bloom sprays in Tangerine, Peony, Guilded and Gold Foil to create the background. It looks a brighter orange in the photo but is more of a salmon colour. While the sprays were out (if you do not have Color Blooms RUN do not walk to your nearest scrapbook store to get them!)  I gathered some flowers and covered them with gesso. The colour does not matter as they will be painted so pick ones that you are likely not to use (a good way to use up stash). Once the gesso dries spray some of each  colour on a plate or whatever and paint flowers - or spray! I also covered felt leaves and small rosebuds with gesso and painted in blues and greens.  While these were drying I used texture paste to make a brick background. Once dry (I'm impatient so I used a heatgun) I dabbed the bricks with 2 shades of Ingveld Bolme chalk edgers. After adding gesso and ink to a chipboard fence I  attached this over some stenciled cobblestone and Graphic 45 Secret Garden paper then adhered the flowers. A girl  fussy cut from the paper overlooks the garden.

At the top I stencilled a tree branch and birdcage using a Crafters Workshop stencil. I added  a 3D Copper colour dimension paint to the birdcage as well as a bit of green Stickles to the leaves to give them  a bit of shimmer.

Handmade butterflies from Angellica Fransens Etsy Shop (see blog on right hand margin)

flutter about with a rhinestone trail (Zva Designs).

I hung a metal key on a blue ribbon to replicate the one in the picture.

I wanted to give the option of adding your own (6x6) photo or using the 'Secret Garden' picture. So a photo can easily be slipped onto the pic using it as a mat. Underneath it simply says 'love' in painted wood.

And speaking of love, I really loved doing this. It presented me with new challenges and techniques - some that I just may need to use in creating new albums!

Have a great week!

Canvas Art

Finally it's time to clean off the patio furniture and put away the winter coats. We've been really lucky on the westcoast compared to those back east and also to many of the States down south. Minimum snow and and no boots required but umbrellas were in abundance. It's nice to have a sunny, dry day! To help pass those rainy days I thought I'd try something different and try my hand at making a canvas. I kept my first one small (6x6) in order to get the hang of it.

After applying 2 coats of Gesso I sprayed the canvas with 3 different shades of Tattered Angels mist. After stamping with Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous stamps I gathered my metal gears, chipboard and (Prima) flowers and sprayed them with the same TA mists to give it a monochramatic look. I then added a TH key and chain and called it a day. It's a lot different from my normal style but was so much fun to do.

My daughter-in-law helped in my decision as to what my second canvas would be. She wanted one for her bathroom with a beachy feel to it - not nautical and preferably tropical. But after they took a recent trip to Pender Harbour in BC I knew exactly what was needed. My grandchildren became seashell seekers and came back with lots of shells, stones, starfish and oysters.  

So with my canvas all gessoed up off I went to spray it with shades of blue and golds. I have to confess that I treated myself to a set of the new Prima Colour Blooms. These things are awesome! They have a trigger sprayer rather than the usual pump sprays and I experienced no clogging, dripping or pumping. They sprayed on smooth and blended beautifully. After spraying I dabbed the whole canvas with a wet one before it dried.

I tore a sheet of scrapbook paper in beige tones and inked the edges. I then sprayed it to give it more texture and a sandy look. I adhered it along the bottom to represent sand. (I recommend Gel Medium rather than Mod Podge - even though MP will work just fine!)

I used chipboard 'Thickers' to add a bathroom quote then lightly inked them in a  golden sand colour.

After spraying and wiping away all the shells with different shades of blue I moved and played until I was happy with the look.

I added burlap, moss, chipboard a bumble bee and butterflies. Then of course what oyster would be complete without a pearl.

This is a nice change from mini albums and layouts so maybe I'll try making a layout on canvas next. The possibilities are endless.

 Now that the (worst of the) rain is gone I'll ponder my next project while soaking up some long awaited sun.

Have a great week!

Hoppy Easter!

Today was sunny and clear with blue skies and a high of 19 celcius. Woohoo!  Spring has FINALLY sprung! Besides the cherry blossoms in bloom and the birds chirping I love that spring brings with it Easter weekend. I love the Easter Story, the pastel colours, dyed eggs and of course chocolate. I remember as a child my mother dressing us in our new Easter outfits to wear to church and then for visiting family afterwards for our Easter dinner. My brothers would be in new white shirts and bowties and I would have a fancy dress with a crinoline underneath and a matching bonnet. My patent leather shoes would be shone with vaseline and my hair would  have long ringlets and ribbon. It was a special day This year my daughter is hosting and will keep a family tradition of having an Easter egg hunt. My grandchildren are young but once they find their first one it won't take them long to find more. And this grandma will have so much fun watching (and helping) them.  I know with the egg hunt they will have enough chocolate for their little tummies so like a good grandma I bought them each a storybook and spring outfit. But I felt guilty - grandma's are all about treats and spoiling right?  I knew I couldn't buy them a big chocolate bunny or egg  so I made them a little Easter basket that I can put little eggs and bunnies in. I used 'Sweet Sentiments' paper from Graphic 45 and kept them simple - after all it's what's inside that counts!

The design is from Clare Chargill of the G45 design team and the template can be found on their blog.  I put a pretty bow on my granddaughters and buttons on my two grandsons. I put a 'thickers' initial on each one and rubbed on some stickles to give it  a bit of sparkle, I put plain white tissue paper inside because with little ones everything goes in the mouth so I didn't think coloured 'grass' was a good idea for this year at least. Now to fill with goodies!  Oh the perks of being a grandma!! My mother lives 3000 miles away so unfortunately will not be joining us for Easter dinner. She'll enjoy her baked ham and scalloped potatoes with my brothers though. Her big thing is to get a card.She loves cards - and at 86 years old has every card she has ever received! Yes, she has garbage bags full of them and every once in a while she'll pull out a bag and read them. So I made her an Easter card. Again I used G45's Sweet Sentiment.

I layered papers and matted them with cardstock. On the bottom half I put a chipboard piece from the collection and punched out the centre circle. I adhered foam tape behind it to give it a wee bit of dimension.  I kept it simple by just adding string pearls and a bow. I have to admit that I had a small cluster of flowers to add but then remembered it had to be mailed. So to satisfy myself and the post office I instead added a small spray of pearls.  It's not completely flat and there's a little bit of bumps but I'm sure it'll be fine.

On the top I just added some stamps and a sentiment from the collection. I added paper and a mat to the inside with a handwritten note.

To really make her day my 2 yr. old grandson 'coloured' an Easter picture for her that we slipped inside.  I know my card will sit proudly on her mantle and that my grandsons picture will be displayed proudly on her fridge. Easter hunts and new spring outfits are fine but what  better way than this to bring Easter joy to a special great grandma. HAVE A HAPPY EASTER!

Precious!

In January my daughters good friend had a sweet baby girl. I wanted to make something special for her. I knew the mother liked making cards so decided to make a layout for her. My intentions were to frame it but right before I was to give it to her I got sick with a cold and cough. Needless to say it never got framed and I never got my baby cuddles in. But my daughter gave it to her and I kept my germs to myself. Everyone was happy and now that I feel better I thought I would share the layout with you.

I knew the mother did not like pink and I had already  made her a card with purple and green. Also the photo was so precious and soft looking so I wanted to keep the layout soft. I went thru my stash and found some Basic Grey 'Little Black Dress' paper that was perfect. It pays to go thru your old papers rather than grabbing the newest ones on top. Who knew!! I wanted to keep the layout simple so that the focus would be on the beautiful baby. I never distressed the edges except for some soft inking. I matted papers onto cardstock then again made 3 smaller mats for the photo itself. Of course it deserved to be front and centre.

On the bottom right corner I added a cluster of soft flowers - some Prima, some handmade and some misc.

Leaves, a butterfly and flower and pearl sprays were tucked in.

Before adding the flower cluster though I inked some paper doilies and adhered one above the cluster and another on the bottom left corner. I then punched a lacy scallop design on soft peach cardstock and ran some lace along the top of it. Some pretty swirly pearls and flowers finished it off.

There was no better title than 'precious'. Again my stash came in handy.

I dabbed white paint on a Blue Fern Studios chipboard word but couldn't decide where to put it. I had a Prima lace and pearl strip that I had been hoarding for 3 years. After-all, it was too pretty to use let alone cut! But I took a deep breath and cut it to fit underneath the Title then put them in the top corner.

It was now beautiful and perfect - just  like the beautiful and perfect baby girl!

GP, G45 and BB.and a NEW BLOG!

First and foremost, welcome to my new Blog! I thought it was time for a change so although I am still making changes it now has a fresher cleaner look.
I changed the name from Scrapping  Life to Scraps of Life as I hope to mix it up a bit with little  scraps/tidbits from my own life. So to get started, my bathroom reno's are almost done but not before it drives me crazy! I now have a sink and mirror but after cleaning up drywall dust from every nook and cranny in my entire condo they have now decided that the entrance planned is not wide enough for my wheelchair.  So now they are widening it which means more noise, drywall, sanding, painting and yes, more dust! What was supposed to be done in 5 days has now turned into  5 WEEKS!  So, to help keep my sanity I scrapped a few layouts. The first is one of my grandaughter using a kit and directions from Gabrielle Pollaco   I made the odd changes/deletions but credit belongs solely to Gabrielle.  She offers kits and instructions thru the Scrapbook Diaries but unfortunately this kit is now sold out. You can purchase a video of the instructions though which is worth every cent - if you are a fan of Gabrielle like me, you will know she is a wealth of tips, techniques and  creativity

Mists, fussy cutting, tearing, stamping, flowers, chippies and lace - all made this one so much  fun to do!

What makes Gabrielle's layouts so special? It's the attention to detail! (imo) Mind you she is pretty darn creative with or without!  I find when making mini books for my Etsy Shop that ones with lots of detail sell faster and easier than ones without.  However,  that being said,  I decided to make a layout with little detail and just layers of paper - no tearing, no fussy cutting, no flowers - just cutting, inking and my cute little grandson. It was amazing how fast it was to do. Once done I was tempted to add buttons or ribbon or fabric or SOMETHING  but decided to leave it as is . I used Graphic 45 'Mother  Goose' paper and kept the theme to 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star' - one of my favourite childhood songs.

My last layout is one using 'The Avenues' collection from Bo Bunny. Although G45 and Prima are my go-to papers, Bo Bunny has a lot of great lines that makes them right up there in my books. I had these photos of my grandchildren from last fall and this paper collection was perfect for them.

Before adding the photos I stamped some writing in different spots and used gesso to add a 'brick' mask .

I fussy cut some windows and clocks then finished it off with flowers and a label from the collection.

                           

I've thoroughly enjoyed this break from my Etsy Shop and it feels good to get some layouts made for me.

But what really feels good is that finally I am getting my mojo back!

Bathroom Break

I hope everyone has had a better week than me.Well, it's been okay and it WILL be good - very good! My bathroom has been under renovations to give me a new accessible one. Last week it was completely gutted - vanity, sink, toilet, bathtub - all gone! The floor was jack hammered and wood was added to the walls to support the new sink and grab bars  then new drywall was added. Did I mention the dust? Oh boy - my condo had a layer of dust over EVERYTHING! For such a small bathroom it sure made a mess of my place.  There was even dust when I opened my dresser drawer. I woke up with my face feeling gritty - it was dust off my pillow and duvet - crazy!
So with demolition done, a new roll-in shower in place, new flooring and a fancy toilet (with a bidet seat) I have been promised that the worst is over and there will be no more dust. THANK YOU! So my cleaning lady spent four hours today cleaning every little thing, scrubbing floors and washing linen.
Tomorrow the painting begins.
Meanwhile, here  are some before pics and the progress that has been made so far.
Oh - and scrapbooking? Well once again, everything has ended up in my scraproom - lotions, shampoos, towels, tp, ladders, tools, drywall supplies, paint, baseboards...

This was my bathroom before

                                                      This was after demolition

                                                 This is with the new roll-in shower

                                                This is my new AWESOME bidet toilet
                                         - it even comes with a remote control - a toilet!!!!! 

                                                 And this is my new awesome floor!
                                  It's little hexagon shaped marble tiles in shades of white and grey.
                                           The tile guy was cursing me but I absolutely love it!

So that's where we are for now. At least I have a shower and toilet. No more running down the hall to use the guest suite! I'll keep you updated and not only will I have a nice new accessible bathroom once done but also I will have my scraproom back so I can get down to more important business.
Have a great week!